Hyperspectral Imaging for Characterization of Lithic Raw Materials: The Case of a Mesolithic Dwelling in Northern Sweden

Abstract

This study proposes a method for the classification of lithic raw materials by means of hyperspectral imaging, a non-destructive fast analytical technique. The information potential of this approach was tested on a dwelling site dated to mid-late Mesolithic (7200-5800 BP) at Lillsjön, Ångermanland, Sweden. A dataset of lithic tools and flakes (2612 objects) made of quartz and quartzite, was analyzed using a shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging system. The classification of the raw materials was performed applying multivariate statistical models. A random test set of 55 artefacts was selected, classified according to spectral signature and divided into categories corresponding to different geological materials. The same test set was analyzed with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED XRF) to validate the classification. The entire dataset of lithics collected on the site was then classified applying a SIMCA model. The distribution of items on the site was visualized in a 3D GIS platform according to their geological characteristics to highlight patterns that could indicate different use of the space and dynamics of raw materials supply over time.

Quartzite Complexities: Non-Destructive Analysis of Bifacial Points from Västerbotten, Sweden

“…These features are all the result of overtones and vibration combinations of OH groups, with the two first peaks at 1 400 nm and 1 900 nm being indicative of molecular water (Fig. 4) (Hunt, 1977: 508-510;Sciuto et al, 2019). Hydroxyl (OH) groups can produce a response in a number of different fields in the same material, with metal-OH combinations occurring in the 2 000 nm − 2 500 nm region.…”

Geochemical and physical characterization of lithic raw materials in the Olduvai Basin, Tanzania

“…This potential volatility in composition can both hinder and facilitate the identification of distinct geochemical groups through XRF. In some cases, metamorphic rocks are too chemically homogenous over large areas or too chemically heterogeneous within individual outcrops to be usefully distinguished, while in others, chemical signatures are patterned enough to effectively isolate discrete clusters (Church, 1996;Schneider, 2007;Pitblado et al, 2008;Blomme and Degryse, 2012;Sciuto et al, 2019). Previous attempts to source metamorphic rocks with XRF employ a variety of lab-based and portable instrumentation.…”

Origin and Circulation of Calcarenite Artifacts in the Area of Montescaglioso between 6th and 3rd Century BC: An Interdisciplinary Approach

“…This versatile technique is used at different scales, for reading satellite images, creating terrestrial geological maps, analyzing the lunar surface, and for mining explorations [37][38][39][40]. In archaeology, infrared spectroscopy has been widely used for surveys of aerial or satellite images [41,42] and provenance studies [24,[43][44][45][46][47][48]. All infrared spectra contain diverse information that refers to the various properties of the materials.…”